10 Coping Tips for Parents with a Baby in the NICU

For our mother of twins, Erin, there was a major obstacle for getting to and from the hospital post-pregnancy: She couldn't drive for three weeks. Those driving restrictions are common to new mothers. In the case of having an NICU to travel to, this challenge can be monumental. Erin is quick to say that having friends and family to drive her to visit her girls during those three weeks when her husband needed to return to work greatly relieved her stress.

However, you might be the type of person who hesitates to ask for or accept help. This is the time to put that characteristic aside, as you really need assistance -- especially so you can not only be with your baby, but also find time to rest and heal yourself.

The people in your support system may need some suggestions on how they can help. Offer them with some examples that will be most helpful to you, such as providing those rides to the hospital, helping with your other children and assisting with those daily chores that you can't focus on at the moment.